Silence
by Zoe tabbycat
Summary: When a young foster child was the only witness and survivor to a quadruple homicide, the CSI's attempted to get her to reveal the killer's identity. What if she would not talk? How would they catch their killer? Smacked!
1. Chapter 1

_Silence_

_Summary: When a young foster child was the only witness and survivor to a triple quadruple homicide, the CSI's attempted to get her to reveal the killer's identity. What if she would not talk? How would they catch their killer? Smacked._

_Disclaimer: I obviously do not own CSI: NY. If I did, Stella and Mac would have gotten together long ago._

Ducking under the yellow crime scene tape, Mac Taylor and Stella Bonasera took a good long look around the crime scene. Four bodies were lying there on the floor, with signs of being beaten and stabbed. Pools of blood were all around the floor. The eldest man was perhaps only forty years old, while the youngest child was only about seven.

'Morning Mac, morning Stella.' Don greeted as he jogged over, his trusty notebook in his hands as he had just finished interviewing potential witnesses.

'Morning Don. What have we got here?' Mac asked as Stella struggled to stifle a yawn. Mac gave a small grin. He knew exactly what and _who_ kept her up at night, but oh well, he knew she enjoyed it immensely as well, just as much as _him._

'Four DOA's. The adults vics' names are James and Ellen Walker. Forty-three and thirty-nine years old. Those two kids are Yasmine Andrews and Matthew Wilson. Foster kids. Ten and six year old' Don answered, his expression somber, since he knew how much this type of cases often affect Stella greatly, due to her own experience with foster families.

'Any witnesses?' Stella asked, kneeling down next to the lifeless body of Yasmine and examined the blood pool on the floor next to her.

'Yeah, eight year old Daniela Myerson. Can't get a witness account though, she won't talk.' Don said, looking at Stella, for he was sure that she would recognize the name.

'Daniela?' Stella asked, confirming Don's thought.

'Yeah,' answered Don. 'The Myerson's were charged with child abuse, and Daniela was taken away from them. She was placed in foster care until someone adopted her, but so far, it didn't happen yet.'

As soon as Don finished telling Daniela's story to Stella, she was already on her way over to Daniela. Crouching down beside Daniela, Stella's green eyes locked into the chocolate brown eyes that were unfamiliar to her, yet at the same time, familiar.

'Daniela? My name is Stella. Can you come with us please?' Stella asked gently.

Daniela's head turned slightly to Stella. The voice, she remembered it. From where, she had absolutely no idea, but something in that voice, she knew she could trust it.

Stella was getting ready to hold her small hands in her own, but another police officer came over.

'Detective Bonasera? I recommend you not to try it. Many officers have attempted to take her away, but she turns violent,' said the detective.

'She does not strike me as a violent girl.' Stella answered coolly, holding the small girl's hands.

To everyone's surprise, the little girl neither turned violent nor flinched. She followed Stella meekly to the side of the house, away from the direct view of the mangled bodies.

'Daniela, can you go with detective Taylor to the crime lab? ' Stella asked, her voice soft and soothing, but the little girl will not let go of her hand. Instead, all she did was hold Stella's hand even more tightly, absolutely refusing to let go.

'Go on Stella, I can work the scene. Take Daniela back to the lab. Maybe she can help us fill in the blanks.' Mac told her, and Stella gave him a grateful smile. Although it had been three years since she had last saw Daniela, she often thought about that little girl. Seeing her in distress was not how she wanted to see her again.

'Come on Daniela. Follow me.' Stella told her, running her hands through Daniela's soft, brown hair, but Daniela just stood there, her eyes wide and focused. Stella tugged on her hands, and gently pulled Daniela to the avalanche that was waiting for her.

Lifting her up into the avalanche, Stella thought she heard a small whimper from the child. Daniela was looking past her shoulder, her eyes fixed onto something. When Stella turned to look at what she was looking at, she saw that she was staring at the M.E. who was taking Yasmine's body. One cannot see Yasmine's body under the clean white sheet, but a hand was showing, and Daniela was staring at that, her eyes unblinking. Stella immediately got in the avalanche and closed the door, blocking the view of what was going on outside.

Putting the siren on, Stella rushed them both back to the lab, hoping to get little Daniela away from the crime scene as soon as possible.

_*Silence*_

Wiping Daniela's face clean, Stella studied the girl's face in front of her. Those same brown eyes that stared into her face all those years ago were still there, only they were marred by sadness, sadness that were not there when her innocence was still intact. All of a sudden, Stella felt a small hand tugging her shirt. She looked down and saw Daniela tugging at it.

Pulling Daniela onto her knees, she saw that tears were starting to drop from her eyes. Her hands were fingering the locket on her neck, and she was rubbing it with her thumb. Unconsciously, she opened and closed the locket, allowing Stella to see a photo inside; a photo of her and Yasmine, both with a huge smile on their faces. Stella had seen them, only when a foster child had found her sibling do they ever smile like that. Her heart ache for the child. No child should ever have to go through the system, and ended up lost in there.

Placing her hands on Daniela's cheek gently, Stella slowly turned her head so that Daniela was looking her right in the eyes.

'Daniela? Listen to me. We will find the person who did it to them. We will find the person that did it to Yasmine.' Stella promised.

Daniela gave a small nod, but otherwise, gave no other respond except to cry and cry. Stella hug the girl close to her, letting her cry it all out. After some time, Daniela was finally able to calm down. Taking the tissue that was offered to her, she dried her eyes and promptly fell asleep.

Laying the child down on the sofa, Stella pulled a blanket over her. Looking at the worried facial features etched on the child's face, she knew that this nap would be a restless one, and sooner or later, she was going to wake up from a nightmare.

Seeing Mac heading towards her, Stella could not help but allow a smile to grace her lips at the very sight of him. When Stella went over, Mac pulled her into a hug, which Stella gladly returned. But as they pull apart, Mac's face was serious.

'Stella? We have a problem.' Mac told her.

_A/N: Finally! Now I could finally post this story. I came up with this idea a whole week ago, but I couldn't find time to type it up. Originally, I was going to put it up in the weekend, but my friend, __**BookLover926 **__had been begging me for the whole week on finishing this, so, here you go!_

_Please review! Constructive criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_Dedicated to **Bianca tabbycat, AddictedtoReadingJC**, **BookLover926 **since you are all my best friends._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	2. Chapter 2

Silence

'What happened?' Stella asked, standing up, but careful to be careful, since Daniela was asleep, and she wanted the young girl to sleep as much as possible. Mac signaled for them to go out of the room, and held onto her hands.

'Stella, the child services just told me that they cannot take Daniela in. Apparently, all the foster families and their facilities are all full. The child services are asking us whether she could stay with a member of the lab. Daniela is responding to no one except you. Do you want to?' Mac asked, knowing that Stella would agree instantly, but still worrying nonetheless.

'Do you mind if I really, really want to?' Stella asked, biting her lower lip. She would love for Daniela to stay with her, but she also knew that her decision would not only affect her, it would also affect him.

'Of course not.' Mac reassured her. Daniela's dark eyes reminded him a lot of Stella. Young and innocent looking on the outside, but their eyes showed that their lives were not as easy as it seemed. The foster system was infamous for doing that to a child, and Mac had seen plenty of examples. 'Go take Daniela home. I'll pick up some supplies on my way home.' Stella nodded and they gave each other a quick hug, since no one at work knew about their relation, but unbeknownst to them, Lindsay was walking by and saw the whole thing. She placed her hands over her mouth immediately to stop herself from squealing out in delight as she went off immediately to give the space.

_*Silence*_

'Daniela, we're here.' Stella said as she unlocked the door that led to her apartment, well, technically, it was not only _her _apartment, since she was living with someone, with that someone being her boyfriend.

Daniela took a step into the apartment and looked around. She had been in and out of foster homes, and Stella could see that she was standing on the balls of her feet, ready to run if there was any sign of someone trying to hurt her in any way. Stella knelt down right next to her and looked at her in the eyes.

'Daniela, no one here would hurt you. You can trust me on that.' Stella told her, placing her hand gently on Daniela's shoulder as she gave her the promise.

Daniela nodded slightly, still refusing to speak at all. She followed Stella into a smaller room, with a large bed, a closet and a desk in there. Placing the duffel bag she had with her in the closet, she sat on the bed and stared at nothing. Stella was worried about the young girl. About from the breakdown in the office, she had kept her emotions tightly under control, as if she was afraid of letting someone see her emotions.

'Do you want to talk about it, Daniela?' Stella asked her, but she shook her head tightly, drawing her legs tightly to her chest. Stella knew better than to push. If they were talking to an adult, they might push a little harder, but Daniela was only an eight year old girl, who had no faith or trust in anyone. Pushing her to talk would be one of the worst things to do.

All of a sudden they both heard Daniela's stomach grumble. Stella smiled gently. ' Do you want some food? Maybe a sandwich?' Daniela nodded slightly, but when Stella asked her which kind she would like, all she did was to shrug.

Stella nodded and fixed up a sandwich quickly. Bringing it back into the room, she found Daniela in the exact same place as she left her. Placing the plate of sandwich down on the bedside table, Stella looked at the girl, and knew that feeling of insecurity that surrounded Daniela all too well. Being moved around from house to house, it was difficult to trust someone. Not allowing herself to relax, or your foster siblings would hurt you, and keeping quiet was the best way to avoid trouble.

Memories from Stella's childhood came floating back out again. The way the older kids would take things from you, the way that they would hurt you to get what they want. Surviving in that world was never easy, and Stella knew that all too well. All of a sudden, the doorbell rang, startling Daniela so much that she was running around the room, trying to find a place in which she could escape to. Stella caught hold of her, careful not to be too harsh.

'Daniela, that is just the nice detective today. No one is going to hurt you here.' Stella explained, taking the girl with her as she went to open the door, which she knew Mac was standing there. As she opened the door, she found Mac standing there, with plenty of shopping bags in his arms.

Giving him a kiss, she closed the door behind them, and led Daniela to Mac.

'Daniela, this is Mac Taylor. He is a good man, you can trust him, okay?' Stella told Daniela, looking at her in the eye, hoping that Daniela would relax slightly and talk, but Daniela just stared at Mac, her eyes devoid of any emotions.

'Don't force her to, Stella. It won't do her any good. Why not let her relax in her own time?' Mac told her, and Stella nodded. Taking the soft, new pajamas from Mac, she led Daniela back into the room and helped her to change. As soon as the skin on the back of Daniela was exposed, Stella had to work hard to stifle a gasp.

There were nasty bruises, welts and scars all over it. The bruises all over her back were in different colors, showing that she was beaten more than once over a long period of time. Scars were all over her back, and the girl's once pristine skin were marred badly, just like that.

'Daniela, who did this to you?' Stella asked, horrified.

Daniela just shrugged, as if the answer was not important at all, but Stella knew better. Foster families may seem to be nice on the outside, but on the inside, they could be unspeakable horrors. On seeing Stella's reaction, Daniela started to cry, ashamed of the marks, ashamed of herself. Stella quickly stretched out her arms and hugged Daniela close to her, running her hands through her long hair.

'Everything's gonna be fine, Dani, everything is gonna be fine, I promise.' Stella promised, as Daniela finally let her emotions get the better of her, and broke down crying.

_A/N: Here we are, chapter two of Silence. I really, really hope you all like it. This is dedicated to __**Bianca tabbycat**__, for putting up with me whenever I am so mad at someone, __**AddictedtoReadingJC**__, for emailing me often and cheering me up, and finally to __**BookLover926**__, for being every bit as mad and as insane as I am. I love you all!_

_Also, A great big thank you to __**DarkenedRosepetals, RhizOneill, AriesOx17, tlh45**__ and __**BeTheDream **__ for reviewing chapter 1. I ALSO LOVE YOU ALL._

_Please review this chapter as well! Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	3. Chapter 3

Silence Ch.3

Stella closed the door behind her gently and went over to the couch, where Mac was reading the paper. As soon as Stella sat down on the sofa, Mac placed the paper down on the coffee table and looked at her expectantly. Stella snuggled up against his broad chest, and Mac placed his arms around her shoulders.

'How's Daniela?' Mac asked. He hated it when children were victims of some cold-blooded killer, but even more when they were the only survivors to some crime, and he could do nothing to the people that caused them both the mental and physical pain.

'She's just fallen asleep.' Stella answered, lifting her head and looking at Mac in the eye. 'How can anyone do that to a child?' Stella burst out, unable to suppress the anger in her any more.

'I don't know, Stella.' Mac answered.

'It's not fair.' Stella said quietly, her memories coming back to haunt her. She shook her head firmly, getting rid of all those images in her head.

'I know, Stella. Life's not fair. No children should have to go through that kind of torture. But what's done is done. Now, all we can do is to help them take away that kind of memories.

'It's not that easy.' Stella murmured.

'You've grown really attached to Daniela, haven't you?' Mac asked, bringing her close to him.

'Yeah.' Stella admitted. 'She is just like someone I knew when I was just a kid. I really hope what happened to her, would not happen to Daniela.' She did not elaborate any further, and Mac knew better than to push for information.

They stayed where they were for a bit longer, not speaking, but just allowing themselves to relax, knowing the other was also comfortable. After a while, Stella started yawning and soon fell asleep. Mac gave a small smile. Gently picking her up, he placed her carefully on her bed, and got ready to leave. Just as he was about to leave, he heard a soft whimper coming from Daniela's room

_*Silence*_

'Don't. Please don't. Please.' Daniela whimpered, thrashing around on the bed, her eyes screwed tightly shut. Mac was next to her in a minute, shaking her gently and waking her up.

'Daniela, wake up.' Mac shook her shoulder gently, waking the distressed girl from her nightmares. Daniela's eyes shot open, and she immediately huddled against the wall, but as soon as she recognized Mac as the person whom Stella told her that she could trust, she immediately leapt into his arms, shivering. Mac held her close to him, telling her that everything was alright, and it was all just a dream, but Daniela continued to shiver. Mac laid her on her bed gently, and fetched the bass that he kept in Stella's apartment and brought it into Daniela's room. He began strumming it gently, and Daniela began to calm down. After a while, Daniela drifted off and Mac placed the bass back in its bag.

Turning around, Mac saw Stella standing at the doorway, tears running her cheek. He went out of the room, and gently led Stella towards the couch. Settling her down, he dried her tears gently.

'What's wrong, Stella?' Mac asked.

'Nothing, it's just… I wish someone would do that for me when I had a nightmare like Dani.' Stella told him, her head down. The memories of what her foster parents would do when they catch her crying was enough to make her shudder.

'I wish I was there to protect you even then, Stella. But I am here now, no one can hurt you anymore.' Mac assured her, letting her head fall against his shoulder.

After a bit more assurance, Stella fell asleep on his shoulder, Mac was about to place her back on her bed when Stella tightened her hold on him, refusing to let him go even in her sleep. He smiled as he settled down on the couch again, allowing Stella to snuggle against him comfortably.

_*Silence*_

Opening her eyes, the first thing that Stella registered was that she was lying on someone. She saw Mac sleeping, his eyes closed, his breath even and his face relaxed. Stella stayed where she was and just looked at him, and enjoyed the sight of him being so relaxed. Soon, Mac's eyes began to flutter open, and the first thing he saw was Stella. Unconsciously, he began to smile, and he knew, more than anything, that he wanted to be able to wake up like this for the rest of his life.

'Morning.' Stella mumbled sleepily.

'Morning.' Mac answered, giving her a slight kiss on her temple. 'Breakfast?'

'Mmm.' Answered a very sleepy Stella. Grinning, Mac headed into the kitchen and started the coffee as Stella headed into Daniela's room, helping her to get ready for the day.

As soon as breakfast was placed on the table, Stella and Daniela emerged. To his relieve, Daniela's eyes did not seem puffy from last night. She was dressed neatly in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

'Good morning, Dani.' Mac greeted her, adopting the nickname that Stella started using, placing a plate of toast and eggs, and a glass of orange juice in front of her.

'Good morning.' Daniela answered shyly, sitting down for her breakfast. As she was eating her breakfast, Stella had managed to gulp down a cup of coffee and finished her bagel and was already ready for work.

'Dani, you'll be coming with me today, alright?' Stella asked her.

Daniela nodded. She knew she could trust the man and woman in front of her. The woman still seemed vaguely familiar to her, but she still couldn't really place where she had known her before. Gulping down her orange juice, she stood up, and was all ready to go.

_*Silence*_

After settling Daniela on the couch in her office for a short nap, Stella sat down at her desk, and read the police reports on Daniela's case. Solving the case was going to be much harder than any of them thought initially. The murder weapon was nowhere to be found, and there was only a small amount of DNA left at the scene, but all that led to a dead end. The family themselves was well-liked and no one they spoke to had any idea who would have a grudge against the family.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Stella thought back to her own childhood. Suddenly, a flash of thought crossed her mind. From her experience, usually, it's the foster children that attracted the most grudge, rather than their family. What if they had been looking in the wrong direction? What if instead of focusing on their family, they should have been looking at the children themselves?

_A/N: I'm back, I'm alive! I'm sooooo sorry for not updating, but life's been hectic for the past few months, and I really didn't have to time. If you want thank someone for my update, you can go thank __**Lover of Percy Jackson**__, since she was the one who told me that work is no excuse for not updating, so yeah, here you go, another chapter._

_My exams are gonna be at the end of this month, so wish me luck, but I am gonna try to put up at least another two chapters before that._

_Please review. Criticisms are much appreciated but no flamers please. Also, please PM me if you have any ideas._

_Many thanks to all of you who have reviewed the story. You guys are also the people responsible for making me put this chapter up. I LOVE YOU ALL._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	4. Chapter 4

Silence Ch.4

As soon as the thought ran through Stella's head, she knew she had to check out this theory. However, she knew that Daniela did not really trust anyone other than Mac and herself, and she did not have the heart to wake the young girl from her deep slumber. She looked around and saw Lindsay coming out of the elevator, and hurriedly beckon the young woman over.

'Linds, I need your help. Can you go to the Child Services and pick up everything you can get on all the kids that the Walker's had ever fostered?' Stella asked her hurriedly, but quietly.

'Why?' Lindsay asked, her doe eyes reflecting the confusion. Stella quickly ran her idea through Lindsay, and the next thing she knew, Lindsay had already bolted out of the room, heading for the Child Services department. Stella leant back on the chair, and began to look though the evidence, but in a new perspective.

_*Silence*_

'What can I do for you, detectives?' Melina Gray asked. She was the head of the Child Services, and Lindsay knew that all the files were kept by her.

'We need the records of all the kids that James and Ellen Walker ever fostered.' Lindsay answered, as Flack stood by her side. Danny was busy going through the evidence in the lab, so Linsday had gotten Flack to go with her.

'Well, that shouldn't be too hard. They are relatively new foster parents, and hadn't had too many kids yet. Wait a moment, please. I'll go fetch them for you now.' Melina answered as she headed into her office

Leaning against the counter, Linsday and Flack quickly grew bored. All of a sudden, a thought a struck Lindsay and she jumped. Flack immediately pulled out his gun and looked around, thinking that a criminal had somehow gotten into a building, but seeing no one there, he lowered his gun again.

'Jeez Linds. What's wrong.' Flack asked as she strapped his gun back into the holster.

'I just remembered something.' Lindsay whispered excitedly. 'Mac was wearing the same suit he had on yesterday.'

'So?' Flack asked, shrugging. 'We both know that he often stays in the office overnight, forget about the time, and will be yelled at by Stella eventually.'

'Yeah, but that's the point. Stella haven't yelled at him at all today. And he said he was going over to Stella's and drop some stuff off and then he was gonna go home.'

'Now, that is slightly weird. Are you sure?' Flack asked thoughtfully.

'Absolutely.' Lindsay affirmed, nodding her head ernestly.

'Well, let's hope that what we are thinking is true, and they finally see sense. Took them long enough.' Flack shook his head, silently agreeing not to say anything to anyone until Stella and Mac admit it. After a bit longer, Melina came out with a huge stack of files, and cheerfully bid them goodbye.

_*Silence*_

'Not too many kids?' Lindsay asked Stella incredously. 'There's got to be at least a billion files stacked there.'

'Linds, foster kids change families so frequently that you can't even count it. Sometimes, maybe the orphanage is better for us.' Stella told her, her voice compeltely neutral.

Daniela had woken up a while before, and had gone with Mac for something to eat, so it was only Stella and Lindsay in the office.

'Yeah, but still. They call this little?' Lindsay groaned, flopping back down on the chair and throwing her hand above her head.

'Relax, Linds. There's only around 50 files here, we divide it into half, and we'll get it done today.

'Yeah, if we skip lunch and dinner.' Lindsay exaggerated, earning a small laugh from Stella as she took her share of the files.

Reading the files, Lindsay and Stella began to look for clues. They jotted down names here and there, and read over the threats that were for them. After a few hours, they were finally done.

'Alright. I've got quite a few names here, mostly disgruntled kids who claimed that they were not treated well in the Walker's families, and they have made threats to them, but nothing that looks serious. A couple of them have records, but they are mostly just petty things like stealing stuff from the bodega. Have you got anything?' Stella asked.

'Yeah.' Lindsay said, frowning as she looked over one file for the hundredth time. 'Technically, I've got two.'

'Yeah?' Stella asked expectantly, leaning forward in anticipation.

'Well, the first one is the Walker's biological son, Brandon Walker. He's 18, and he's got a record, for stuff like public disturbances.' Lindsay answered, reading off her paper.

'Well, that doesn't sound like he'd graduate to murder. Beside, those are his parents. Why are you suspecting him?' Stella asked.

'Let me finish.' Lindsay told her. 'He's been arrested four times with public disturbances, and at every scene, the officer always say that he is still cursing his parents names, and telling that one day, he would watch them die. Couple months ago, he graduated to aggravated assault. Apparently, it was when the teacher tried to convince him that his parents do love him, and therefore wants him to continue school.'

'It does sounds like he has a big problem with his parents, huh?' Stella whistled, leaning back. 'What about your second?'

'Louie and Carina Myerson.'Lindsay answered. Seeing Stella's surprised look, she answered. 'I know, I know. But it said here, that they tried to get their daughter back so many times. Apparently, the last time was just a couple months ago. They lost the court case, and the last thing that Carina told the court was and I quote 'I will get her back. You'll see. And you'll regret not giving her back to me when I said so.' before she stormed off with her husband'.

'But why are you linking this case to them? I mean, the court always see threats made by the defendant when they lose the case.' Stella asked.

'Yeah, but this time, right after the case, the Walker's started filing complaints to the precinct about people breaking into their house, but not taking anything, vandalism, and so on, but there was never enough evidence to charge the Myerson's. The only evidence we have were two eye witnesses, at different times, but absolutely zero scientific evidence.'Lindsay answered. 'I think we totally should check them out as well.'

'Okay. Who do you want to take?' Stella asked, hoping that Linday was going to deal with the Myerson's, since she knew she would probably lose her temper if she was the one interrogating them.

Lindsay saw the look on Stella's face and laughed. 'I know what you are thinking. I'll take the Myerson's. You take this Brandon guy.'

'Thanks Linds.' Stella answered gratefully, as she whipped on her jacket and get ready to go and meet the famous Brandon Walker.

_A/N: To make up for the long wait for the last chapter, I present Ch.4 to you today. I hope you like it. I know that there is basically no Daniela in this chapter, but I promise, the next chapter will focus on her._

_Hope you like it, and can any of you guess the murderers yet? _

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW! Criticisms are much appreciated , but no flamers please._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	5. Chapter 5

Silence Ch.5

'How many times do I have to tell you? I didn't kill anyone.' Brandon yelled. He had been interrogated for almost an hour, and he was tired of telling the cops that he was innocent.

'You have a record, Brandon, a record to tell us that you hate your parents. Why? Because they didn't give you enough hugs and kisses with all your foster siblings around? You think they took away your parents love for you, so you killed them? Well, newsflash, Brandon. Daniela is fine, and she'll be a witness.' Stella hissed, her voice laced with anger.

'I will never hurt Yassie, Matt and Dani. How dare you suggest such a thing?' Brandon hissed back, his face radiating disbelief.

'Well, how do you explain all the marks on the three of them? I've seen them, Brandon.' Stella told him.

'Those were my parents.' Brandon shouted, and Stella was taken aback.

'No…' Stella murmured.

'Yes. Before I left for college, I was still able to protect them sometimes, but ever since my parents packed me off to college, I could no longer do that. I try to meet them every week, and every week, there will be new marks on them. I hated what my parents did to them. All I want to do is to finish my studies and care for them. The three of them are still relatively new, but that doesn't mean that I would ever hurt them. Why do you think I hate my parents so much? That's because I hated what they did to them.' Brandon told her, calming down.

Looking into Brandon's eyes, Stella nodded. She could see the sincerity in his eyes, and she believed that he must have been telling the truth. However, if he was innocent, that would mean they only have two suspects left, Louie and Carina Myerson, Daniela's own parents.

_*Silence*_

Lying down on the grass, Daniela fell asleep quickly, soothed by the figure next to her, and the cool breeze that brush against her cheeks ever so gently. Mac took a look at her and smiled. The serenity on her face was enough to make anyone relax, especially since she had been having nightmares at night constantly, and her pale face was an obvious sign that she was in desperate need of a long, peaceful rest. Feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket, he answered it quickly, but softly.

'Taylor.' Mac said

'Mac, it's me.' Stella started. 'How's Dani?'

'She has just fallen asleep. Any new leads on the case?' Mac asked.

'Yes. We have got some suspects. I just talked to Brandon Walker, who claimed that he is innocent and will never hurt any of the kids.' Stella told him.

'Do you believe him?' Mac asked.

'Honestly? Yeah, I do. His eyes are sincere, Mac. I really do think he is telling the truth.' Stella answered.

'Alright, then who is your next suspect?' Mac asked.

'Louie and Carina Myerson.' Stella told him, and Mac almost dropped his phone in shock.

'Dani's parents?' He asked, sure that he had heard it wrongly.

'Yes. Apparently, they have been trying to get custody of their daughter back, but had been rejected every time. The last time was only a couple months ago, and Carina publicly threatened the judge, telling them they would regret not giving Dani's custody back to them.' Stella told him.

'Where are they?' Mac asked.

'Lindsay's talking to them. Don't worry about the case today, Mac, stay with Dani. Maybe she would reveal something about the killers.' Stella told him.

'Alright. I love you Stell.' Mac told her.

'I love you too.' Stella answered sweetly before hanging up the phone.

_*Silence*_

A couple hours had past before Daniela woke up from her nap. She stretched slightly and looked around, almost forgetting where she was for a moment. Just as she was about to run, she saw Mac's figure right next to her, and she calmed down immediately. Turning around, she tugged onto Mac's sleeves.

'Well, hello to you too, Miss Dani. Did you have a good nap?' Mac asked her, smirking.

Daniela gave the slightest giggle at his expression before tugging him again and pointing to the direction of the crime lab.

'You want to go back to the crime lab to see Stella?' Mac asked, and Daniela nodded.

'Alright then. Come on.' Mac told her, and she slipped her small hands into his big ones as they walked towards the crime lab. As soon as they arrived there, they could see Stella in the lab, which was right next to Mac's office. Daniela began to pull Mac towards the lab, but Mac held her back.

'Whoa there, young lady. You can't go in there. How about you wait here and I'll go get Stella to come in here?' Mac told her, pulling her into his office, laughing gently.

She nodded, and sat down on the couch immediately, pointing to the lab where Stella was impatiently.

'Okay, okay. I'm going to get her now.' Mac surrendered and got Stella to go to his office in record time, promising that he would finish up on whatever she was doing.

Reaching Mac's office, Stella pushed open the large glass door, and a small hurricane in the form of an eight year old rushed to her, and flung her arms around her mother

'Hello Dani. Did you have a good day with Mac?' Stella asked the young girl as she scooped her up into her arms.

Dani nodded vigorously, her eyes dancing, and Stella gave a small sigh of relief. Lindsay had just called her, and told her that the Myerson's claimed their innocence, but they had no solid alibi for their whereabouts that day. The DNA they had collected at the scene was not good enough to meet the FBI protocol, and they could not use it to nail anyone. Right now, the only way to charge them is if Daniela gave them a positive ID.

'Dani, can I ask you a question?' Stella asked softly. Daniela was still slightly over excited and nodded her head without a second thought.

'Did you see whoever did it to your foster parents and foster siblings.' Stella asked, and just as she expected, Daniela immediately stiffened up.

'Dani, we want to put those people who did it behind bars, so they can never do this to you or anyone again. Can you tell me if you did see whoever they are?' Stella prodded gently.

Daniela began to cry. 'I can't tell. They'll hurt me.' She sobbed.

This was the first time that Daniela actually gave any indication that she knew who was the attacker at that place. Stella knew that she had to get Daniela to give a positive ID to whoever did it. She was holding the key to the case the entire time.

'Dani, listen to me. Once you have given a positive ID, they would go to jail, and can never come near you again. They will never be able to hurt you again. You can tell me.' Stella persuaded her.

'Really?' Daniela asked, chewing on her lip.

'Yes.' Stella assured her.

'My parents, Louie and Carina.' Daniela finally said softly, after a moment of silence.

Stella could have jumped for joy; they can finally nail those people down for four accounts of murder. Just as she was about to call Lindsay and tell her, her phone rang, and the caller ID showed that it was none other than Lindsay calling her.

'Hey Linds.' Stella said cheerfully. 'Dani just gave me a positive ID on her parents being the murderer. You can issue an arrest warrant now.'

'Great, there is just one problem though. Their lawyer had just bailed them out, and although I placed a couple of cops to tail them, they managed to get away.' Lindsay told her gravely.

A shiver went up Stella's spine. 'Where are they?' She asked, but Lindsay didn't answer.

'Lindsay, please tell me you know where they are.' Stella begged.

'I'm sorry, Stella. I have no idea.' Lindsay finally answered.

_A/N: As a summer present for you, I present Ch. 5 of Silence to you all. This late update is due to exams and writer's block. I had a full-blown writer's block straight after the exams, so I was completely unable to update any of my stories, but here you go now. A friend has so kindly agreed to listen to me vent in frustration and after that, I suddenly found that I have loads of ideas running around my head, so I immediately updated as fast as I can, so, I am SORRY about the late update._

_Thank you so much to all those who has reviewed, favorite or alert this story. You guys are the people who made me feel guilty for not updating; hence this chapter is dedicated to ALL OF YOU._

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW. Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	6. Chapter 6

Silence Ch.6

'Stella's it's ok. Dani will be safe. Louie and Carina will not be able to get to her.' Mac reassured Stella.

Stella had taken Dani home immediately after Lindsay had told her about Louie and Carina, and kept on rechecking that the door was safely bolted. It had taken Mac quite a lot to convince her that letting him in will not let Carina or Louie into the apartment. If it were not for the situation at hand, it would have been quite funny.

'But what if they did? What if they really get their hands on Dani?' Stella asked.

'Stell, they went through all the trouble of murdering people just to get her back, even if they did, I doubt they would hurt Dani.' Mac told her, hoping to reassure her that Dani would be fine.

_*Silence*_

'What are you doing, Louie?' Carina asked, watching her husband cleaning out a gun, and reloading it with fresh, new bullets.

'We're going to take Dani back, and she will have to die as well.' Louie told Carina firmly.

'No, Louie. We did all these just to be able to get Dani back. How could you possibly even think about killing her?' Carina asked, horrified.

'She has seen us, Carina. She saw us killing those brats at that house. She can easily blab it to someone, and we will be the ones who will be taken away.' Louie told her, refusing to budge on the issue.

'But you promised.' Carina protested.

'That was before I knew that she was going to be a witness in the murder.' Louie told her, turning around to face her.

'Is there really no other way?' Carina asked.

'No.' Louie answered, shaking his head. 'There really is no other way.'

'Can I have some time with her, until we have to… to kill her?' Carina asked.

'Two days. I'll give you two days. We'll take her on Friday. She's going on Sunday afternoon.' Louie relented slightly.

_*Silence*_

'I don't want to go to school. What if they take me away from you and Auntie Stella?' Dani asked, as Mac took her to school. Stella was due for a shift at the crime lab, and it took a lot of persuasion before she would allow herself to go for work.

'Dani, school is safe. Besides, I though you love school. Don't you want to see Emily and Ella today?' Mac asked, bribing her with the thought of seeing her two new best friends whom she had met at school.

'But…' Dani protested before Mac gently cut her off.

'No buts, Dani. Stella or I would come and fetch you from school when it lets out, and don't leave with anyone except us, ok?' Mac told her.

'Ok. Bye Uncle Mac.' Dani called as she waved goodbye, while heading into the school.

'Bye Dani.' Mac called and finally left after seeing that she had gotten into the school building safely.

_*Silence*_

Looking at the clock, Dani sighed. She was starting to get bored, yet there was still a whole hour until school ends. She was beginning to get bored and yet there was still one hour before school ended.

'Alright class.' Daniela's teacher, Ms Moran addressed them. For the rest of the time, I want you all to be working on an essay. I want you to write about two people that you are most grateful to. Till now to the end of the class, there is still an hour left. You may start now.'

This was the most interesting thing that happened in the whole day. Picking up her pen immediately, Dani began to write. Her teacher expected the whole class to be writing about their parents, and she knew Dani was a foster child. She was surprised to see her writing so quickly and furiously. Walking down the aisle, she peeked over students shoulder to make sure that they were writing their essays, as they should be, and then she reached Daniela.

Scrutinizing carefully, she saw that Daniela had written half a page in a short space of time. On the top, she had written her title – I am most grateful to Auntie Stella and Uncle Mac. Smiling to herself, the teacher walked away, glad that someone is obviously caring for Daniela. She was a good child, and the teacher did not believe that she should be treated the way that she was when she first entered school.

The school bell rang soon, and everyone gave their essays in, and started chattering. It was a Friday afternoon, and everyone was extremely excited, chattering about their weekends, and for once, Daniela joined in. Mac and Stella had promised to take her to the zoo, and she simply cannot wait.

Skipping out, she spotted Stella amongst the parents, and ran to her immediately.

'Auntie Stella.' Daniela exclaimed.

'Well hello there, Miss Dani. Did you have fun in school today?' Stella asked, amused by her expression.

'Well, The first part of the day was boring. A teacher was mean to me, but the last bit was so much fun.' Daniela answered, wrinkling her nose slightly before perking up, with the innocence that only a young child can have.

'Oh yeah? And how was the teacher mean to you?' Stella asked, amusement laced in her voice, finding Daniela in that expression very adorable.

'I was asking Emily about a part that I could not see on the board, and the teacher decided we were not paying attention, and she kept us in for five minutes after break. I didn't get my cookie, because all of them were gone!' Daniela whined.

'Well, we certainly can't have that, can we?' Stella asked. 'Now, let's go buy Miss Dani a cookie.' Stella said, winking at her.

'Yay!' Dani cheered as she slipped her small hand into Stella's larger one, and continue jabbering about her day.

Two pairs of eyes were firmly fixed on them as they headed towards the crime lab. With an almost unperceivable nod, they both headed towards them with a wooden stick. Whacking them both at the same time, they left Stella unconscious, and left with a white van that they had parked there.

_*Silence*_

'Mac, we got a call. There was a kidnapping of a minor in Central Park.' Danny poked his head into Mac's office.

'I'm coming.' Mac told him, about to shrug on his jacket. 'Get Stella to come as well when she gets here with Dani. Have Lindsay watch Dani.'

'There's only one problem with that, Mac. The girl kidnapped is Dani, and Stella was knocked unconscious.' Danny told him, his voice hollow.

'What?' Mac asked, his expression dropping and hardening.

'I'm sorry, Mac.' Danny told him.

'We all know who did this.' Mac said, and Danny nodded.

'Find them.' Mac commanded.

_A new chapter for you all to welcome the new school year! Hip Hip Hip Hurray. I hope you like this chapter. I only got the idea for this chapter today, so I wrote it down immediately, and post it up for you. I also want to thank all of those who reviewed/favorite/alerted this story. _

_As usual, criticism is much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	7. Chapter 7

Silence Ch. 7

Stirring slightly, Stella finally opened her eyes, and Mac was by her side in a second. Not recognizing her surroundings, she began to struggle, and Mac gently placed his hand over hers, calming her down.

'What happened?' Stella asked weakly, her green eyes focused on Mac's blue ones.

'Dani's missing.' Mac told her. He did not even try to hide the fact from her, for he knew that she would find out anyway.

The entire incident then came back to Stella, and her head fell back onto the soft pillow. 'I need to get out of here. I promised to keep Dani safe. I have to go find her.' Stella said determinedly, sitting up and getting ready to get off the bed.

'Lie back down, Stella.' Mac told her sternly. 'You have a slight concussion from the blow to your head, and you should have a rest.'

'Mac. We all know who took Dani, and how dangerous they are. Are you seriously telling me to just lie here and let them take her?' Stella asked angrily.

'Stella, all of us are out looking for her. If you do get dizzy in the middle of the investigation, that is going to slow us down. Besides, should something happen to you, what is going to happen to me?' Mac asked, using the guilt card. 'Come on, Stell. Stay in bed. If not for your health, for me?'

'Why do you have to guilt trap me?' Stella grumbled as she climbed back onto the hospital bed.

'You only agree because I am right.' Mac told her, kissing her on her temple. 'I'm going off to help them. Do you want me to get Jessica or Lindsay to stay with you?'

'No.' Stella answered immediately. 'I want them to help with finding Dani right now.'

'Very well, but the nurse will be keeping an eye on you, so do not even try to get out of the hospital. Promise?' Mac asked, raising an eyebrow.

'I promise.' Stella answered reluctantly.

Just as he was about to leave, he felt Stella pulling his hand gently.

'Yes?' Mac asked, looking at her uncertain expression.

'We will find Dani, won't we?' Stella asked.

'We will find her, safe and sound.' Mac reassured her as he hugged her close.

_*Silence*_

'I want to go home.' Daniela cried, as she struggled to free herself from Carina's grip.

'I know, sweetheart. We are going home now. You must have missed mommy and daddy.' Carina soothed her, holding on tightly to her.

'I want to go home with Uncle Mac and Auntie Stella.' Dani cried again, and Carina's face hardened.

'You will do no such thing.' Carina seethed as she slap Dani across the face.

'Shut her up.' Louie called from the front where he was driving the dirty white van.

'There now, Ella, everything is fine. You are going home with mommy and daddy, to a place where you belong.' Carina told her, trying to hush her.

'I am not Ella. I am Dani. And I want to go home to Uncle Mac and Auntie Stella.' Daniela insisted, and Louie landed a stinging slap on her face.

Daniela stopped fighting, her eyes wide with horror and disbelief sparkled in her eyes.

'Emily and Ella's parents never hit them. They loved them. You are not my parents.' Daniela yelled, and with that, she jumped off the seat and attempted to wretched the door open.

Pulling up to the side of the road, Louie switched of the car engine. 'That's enough, you little brat.' Louie snarled, and with that, he whipped out a syringe filled with medication, and injected into Daniela's arms.

'What did you just do to our daughter.' Carina yelled in horror.

'It's just a sedative, Carina. I promise, you will get your two days with her. I won't kill her just yet.' Louie assured her.

The medication started to take effect just then, but the entire conversation was heard and remembered by a half-conscious Daniela.

'_They are going to kill me soon.'_ Daniela realized, as the sedative took hold of her entire system, and she fell completely unconscious.

_*Silence*_

'What have you got, Lindsay?' Mac asked as he hurried into the lab, hoping that Lindsay had managed to find something from the small amount of soil on the brake skid patterns, which probably came from the van that Louie and Carina used to kidnap Daniela.

'There is something weird in here. I found trace amount of human bone.' Lindsay told him, and Mac frowned.

'Did you check the composition of the bones?' Mac asked, and Lindsay nodded.

'The bones probably belonged to someone who died at least fifty years ago.' Lindsay started, and Mac cut her off.

'So now we have a fifty year old murder? That can wait for a bit longer. We have got to find Dani now.' Mac told her, and Lindsay rolled her eyes.

'Mac, let me finish. There was signs of termite damage on the bones. If the body was just buried in the soil, no termites will come. We usually only find these if the body was encased in a coffin.' Lindsay told him. 'I think that they are keeping her somewhere close to a graveyard.'

'There are so many graveyards within New York. How are we going to find which one.' Mac asked in frustration.

'Perhaps I can help with that.' Sheldon announced as he walked into the room, and handed Mac his touchscreen board. 'I found traces of aluminium in the soil, After I put it under the microscope, I found that it had a slight trace of blue paint mixed really well in there. I scanned the paint into the computer, and there was a result for it in DMV, showing us the brand of car. However, the car has not been in the market for years.'

'Old cars, graveyard. Melton car recycle.' Mac said suddenly.

'What's that?' Lindsay frowned.

'Melton Car Recycling Centre is in the Bronx. They moved there several years ago, but before that, it was a graveyard. There were a lot of protests at that time, because the bodies were just taken back out carelessly, and a couple of coffins were damaged, with the bones falling onto the ground.

'There is a very good chance that they have taken Daniela there.

'Let's go.' Mac ordered, and the entire team piled onto the avalanches.

_*Silence*_

'The thermal indicator showed that there are three people in there, one of them definitely a child.' Mac announced, and the team nodded, as they put on their bullet-proof vest and secured it with the Velcro straps.

'Let's go get Dani back.' Mac told them, and they all nodded.

As they walked into the room, a gunshot was heard towards their right. They immediately raced towards that direction, and stopped dead in their tracks when the three people they were looking for came into sight.

Louie was lying on the floor with a hole in the chest from a bullet, and Dani was lying a few feet from him, clutching her leg, which blood was oozing out of. And standing in the centre was Carina, with a gun in her hands.

_And here we go, another chapter for you guys. I do apologize for not updating in forever, but I had too many exams on my plate right now, and updates won't be frequent, but I will try to update as soon as I can._ _Thank you to all of you who reviewed/favorited/alerted this story. You guys are the people who motivates me to write._

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW. Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	8. Chapter 8

Silence Ch.8

'Carina, put the gun down!' Mac shouted, startling Carina slightly, and she lowered her gun slightly.

'You have no right to be here,' Carina retorted, holding her gun steadily once again, pointing at Mac, 'This is a family matter, and we do not need people like you to poke your noses in the middle.'

'Your husband and Dani both need help,' Mac argued. He wanted to rush over to Dani at that moment, to pick her up and to ensure that she was perfectly fine. However, Carina was in his way, and there was no way that he could get to her safely.

'Her name is not Dani. It is Ella. And my husband is out of his mind if he thinks that I would let him kill my daughter. My only daughter.' Carina snarled.

'Carina, Dani is hurt. She is not responding to anyone. Please, at least let us check her over,' Mac told her, and Carina laughed maniacally.

'Let you take a look at her? She is my daughter, my daughter. Do you hear me?' Carina asked, holding out her hands. Mac immediately knocked her gun out of her hands, and cuffed her.

'Yes, Carina, loud and clear.' Mac told her as he passed her off to Don, who was standing right there, ready to take Carina back to the precinct. As soon as he saw her get into the police car, he raced over to Dani, while Lindsay and Jessica went to check on Louie.

'He's gone.' Jessica confirmed as she felt for a pulse on Louie's neck, but failed to find one.

Quickly finding a steady pulse on Dani, Mac gently tapped on her face. 'Dani, Dani, wake up,' Mac called, but Dani gave no response.

'Someone get a paramedic in here,' Mac called and quickly, the paramedics came in and took Dani to the hospital, with Mac riding in the bus beside her.

'Dani, you've got to wake up soon. I promised your auntie Stella that you will be back beside her, safe and sound. Wake up, Dani.' Mac pleaded slightly. In that short time which Dani had been with him and Stella, his heart had been completely stolen by the little girl.

'Sir, we've arrived.' One of the paramedic told Mac and he reluctantly let go of her hand.

'Take good care of my little girl.' Mac told the paramedics, and they nodded before rushing her into the ER.

Sitting down on the waiting chair was a horrible time for Mac. He had no idea how Dani was doing, and he never liked to be in a situation in which he did not know what was going to happen.

Just as he started pacing, the doctor that was taking care of Dani came out, and Mac rushed over immediately.

'Doctor, how's Dani?' Mac asked urgently.

'Detective Taylor, calm down. Daniela is just a little over excited and a little dehydrated. There's nothing majorly wrong with her. We've set an IV for her, so she should be fine soon. She is awake now, and you can go and see her. However, for safety reasons, I would recommend her to stay overnight for observation.' The doctor told him, calming him down. 'Are her parents around?'

'Her father is dead, and her mother is in custody. I've been taking care of her with my partner.' Mac answered.

'Then how about you come with me to admit her to the hospital while the nurses bring her up to the room and settle her down?' The doctor asked.

Just as Mac was going to agree with this plan, the curtain to the cubicle opened, and the nurses pushed Dani out in a wheelchair, preparing to take her up to a room. However, Dani was still a little hysterical, and when she saw Mac, she attempted to clamber out of the chair.

'Uncle Mac!' Dani screamed, trying to fight off the nurses and reach Mac. Mac immediately went over to her, and crouched down next to her.

'Dani. It's ok. These nurses are just going to take you up to a room, and I'll be along in a minute.' Mac told her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

'No, no. Louie and Carina will try to take me away.' Dani continued, still trying to clamber out of the wheelchair.

'Dani, it's fine. Your mom and dad won't get anywhere near you anymore.' Mac told her, reassuring her that it was fine to go with the nurses.

After a lot of persuasion and promises, Dani finally agreed to go up. Mac entered Dani's room after quickly dealing with paperwork . As soon as he entered the room, Dani let out a sigh of relief.

'Why the relief?' Mac asked, sitting down next to her.

'I thought you were going to leave me. Auntie Stella didn't come.' Dani told him sadly.

'Dani, I'm going to take you to see Auntie Stella. You see, when your mom and dad came to take you away, Stella got hurt; so she could not come down to see her. Would you like to see her?' Mac asked.

Before he could finish his sentence, Dani had already jumped out of her bed, and dragging her IV with her, she headed for the door.

'Woah there. Slow down, Dani. You need to use the wheelchair. You are still not suppose to walk around the hospital,' Mac chuckled, getting her wheelchair ready.

Pouting slightly, Dani complied with his request reluctantly, and Mac pushed her to the room in which Stella was staying.

'Stella, I've got a visitor for you.' Mac called out, and Stella immediately turned around. Seeing Dani, a large smile broke out on her face, as she held out her arms to the little girl, and hugged her tight.

'I'm so sorry, Dani. I shouldn't have let them get to you.' Stella told her, hugging her to reassure herself that Dani was fine, and was standing right in front of her.

'I'm fine, Auntie Stella.' Dani answered, relishing in the feeling of being in her arms and feeling loved by someone.

Just as Mac was about to join in the little cuddle, a little cough can be heard next to him. He turned around, startled. He had been so engrossed in the picture of Stella with a young child that he did not even notice that someone was standing next to him.

'Detective Taylor, I'm Jordan Riverstone. I'm from the child services. I'm pleased to tell you that there is a space in a good foster family for Daniela Myerson, and she can be placed in there as soon as she is released from the hospital.' The man told him.

_A/N: Is Dani going to be taken away? I know I am horrible for not updating in forever, and leaving it on a cliffhanger here, but I just could not resist. The lack in update is due to the fact that no matter how much I hate the fact, my academic has to come first, and I've been having tons of exams, so yeah, I hope you will all forgive me._

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW. Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	9. Chapter 9

Silence Ch. 9

'Why are you taking her away from us?' Mac asked angrily, and Jordan Riverstone sighed.

'Detective Taylor, Daniela was only allowed to stay with you and Detective Bonasera because of the lack of places in the foster system. Now that there is a good place to her, we are going to take her back,' Jordan told him professionally.

'We have given her a good family for as long as she has been here,' Mac argued.

Jordan looked at him sympathetically. He had seen the way that Mac Taylor and Stella Bonasera looked at that young girl, and he could see that they truly cared about the child's welfare.

'I'm sorry, Detective Taylor,' Jordan told him again before turning around and leaving the room, leaving Mac standing there all alone.

Running his hand through his hair, Mac huffed in disappointment and annoyance. He knew that Stella had fallen completely in love with the young girl, and in all honesty, he could not bear the thought of the little girl not being in his life anymore. Turning around, he quickly went off to the social services, ready to get his little girl back.

_*Silence*_

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Daniela stared out of the small window. Social services had taken her away from Stella and Mac as soon as she was discharged from the hospital, and she missed them desperately.

'Fresh meat!' Charlie smirked as he entered the room, with two other boys by his side. Daniela instinctively buried herself back against the corner, hoping to protect herself against the well-known bullies of this foster home.

'Leave her alone, Charlie.' Evelyn called, suddenly appearing by the doorway, and a look of uneasiness passed through Charlie's eyes. He would never admit it, but the only person that he feared was none other than his sister, Evelyn Giles.

'What are you going to do about this?' Charlie challenged, forcing himself to look into the eyes of his sister.

'Get lost, Charlie.' Evelyn told him before pushing him out of the room. 'Are you okay?'

Nodding numbly, Daniela could not help a tear that slid down her cheeks, and Evelyn sat down next to her, gently brushing her hair out of her eyes and handed her a tissue.

'It won't be always this bad, Dani. It will get better,' Evelyn told her.

'I want to go back.' Dani cried, speaking for the first time since she had arrived at this foster home. 'I want to go home.'

'Dani, all of us are here because we don't have a home to go to,' Evelyn tried to explain, unaware that the home she was talking about was not the one where her parents resided.

'I have a home. Aunt Stella and Uncle Mac are nice to me. I have a home there,' Dani told her earnestly, trying to get Evelyn to understand that she wanted to go back. 'I want to go back there.'

'Dani, not many of us can stay in the same home for a long period of time. You will get used to it.' Evelyn told her.

'Aunt Stella and Uncle Mac loves me. I want to go back.' Dani cried. Seeing all the tears leaking out of Dani's eyes, Evelyn heart broke for the little girl. Her parents had been killed in a car accident and she had been in the system with her brother for 9 years, since she was six. She remembered the fear and pain she was in when she first got here, and she knew how brutal the system could be.

Hugging Dani close, she tried to soothe the little girl, but at that moment, all Dani could do was to cry.

_*Silence*_

Dropping her keys into the glass tray right next to the door, Stella gave a large sigh. The apartment was no longer the cheery place it had been when Daniela was staying there. There were no longer any cheerful giggles going around the house and no one hurling themselves against her legs when she got home. All of a sudden, she realized that the house was filled with a wonderful aroma. Pulling off her boots, she headed into the kitchen, and found Mac cooking away at the stove. Going behind him quietly, she wrapped her arms around his waist, startling him slightly.

'How's my beautiful girlfriend?' Mac asked, taking his attention off the pot simmering away at the stove and turning around to hug Stella.

'Hmm… What do I get for dinner for being the beautiful girlfriend?' Stella asked huskily.

'Lasagna,' Mac answered, giving her a gentle kiss on the lips, and Stella gave a small moan.

'What about for dessert?' Stella asked, smirking slightly, continue to explore Mac's mouth with her own.

'Hmm… How about we have dessert first before dinner?' Mac asked, switching off the stove and backing out of the kitchen in the direction of the bedroom.

'Sounds like the best idea of the day to me.' Stella answered as they closed the bedroom door behind them.

_*Silence*_

Lying in bed after multiple rounds of love-making, Stella snuggled up against Mac's chest, enjoying the gentle movements from his rhythmic breathing. However, her mind was still spinning, trying to find the smallest shred of hope that she could possibly get Daniela back.

'Thinking about Dani?' Mac asked softly, interrupting her thoughts and Stella gave a small smile, loving how Mac knew her so well that he could basically read her mind.

'I miss her, Mac.' Stella told him, and Mac rubbed her back gently.

'I know, Stella, I miss her too.' Mac told her, his thoughts wandering to how Dani was doing.

'She was such a sweet child. She does not deserve to be in the system.' Stella told him, shuddering slightly, and Mac knew she was reliving her moments in the system. 'I don't want her in the system.'

'Then let's get her out of the system.' Mac answered simply, and Stella stared at him.

'Mac, are you sure you want to do this?' Stella asked.

'Stella, I love Dani like she is my daughter. If I let her stay in the system, I know I will regret it for the rest of my life.' Mac told her, and a wide smile spread across Stella's face. Jumping out of bed, she headed over to the computer, and plopped herself right in front of the bright screen.

'What are you doing?' Mac asked, amused at the sight of his naked girlfriend sitting in front of the computer.

'Getting all the adoption paper ready.' Stella answered, looking at him with a slightly bewildered expression. 'I thought that we both agreed to do this.'

'Stella, it's two in the morning. We have to be at the lab by seven. I think you need your beauty sleep.' Mac told her, going over to nuzzle her in the neck.

'But Dani…' Stella began to protest and Mac placed a finger on her lips.

'Running yourself down and making yourself ill will definitely not help her, Stella. Come on. Tomorrow, we will get everything ready.' Mac promised her and with great reluctance, she switched off the computer and went back to bed with Mac, both falling asleep quickly with their hands and legs entwined with each other, feeling safe within each other's embrace.

_A/N: I'm so sorry for not updating, but this time, I swear I have a valid excuse. My exams have started, and unfortunately, no matter how much I would love to deny it, academic work will have to come first in this world. My exams will end in June, but hopefully, I will be able to get a couple updates up in between the exams._

_Thank you to all of those who reviewed my story. You are all the reason why I always feel guilty for not updating. _

_As usual, criticisms are much welcomed, but no flamers please._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	10. Chapter 10

Silence Ch. 10

'You stupid worthless brat. What the hell is wrong with you?' Mrs. Sampson yelled and Daniela cringed. This was the third time in the week that Mrs. Sampson had yelled at her and Daniela had no idea what she had done to make her so mad

'I'm sorry,' Daniela answered meekly, having quickly learnt from Evelyn that it was best to apologize under any circumstances.

'Shut up, and get out of my sight,' Mrs. Sampson snarled and Daniela bowed her head. Her work was still sitting on the table behind the old woman and Daniela desperately wanted to grab all of her belongings and leave the room. Shuffling to the table, she began to pick up her work, but all of a sudden, Mrs. Sampson yanked her arm harshly and Daniela let out a small gasp of pain.

'Just what do you think you are doing?' Mrs. Sampson thundered. Before Daniela could formulate a response, a slap landed on her cheek and Daniela instinctively reached up to slap it away, much to Mrs. Sampson's chagrin.

'You dare touch me?' Mrs. Sampson shrieked and completely lost control. Picking up a frying pan that was conveniently laying next to her, she slapped it against Daniela's head. Daniela's cry of pain only serves to infuriate her even further. Tossing the frying pan away and picking up another wooden spatula, she began to dish out her punishment, inflicting a large amount of pain on Daniela's small body.

Daniela tried to focus on something in front of her, but darkness threatened to overwhelm her, and as much as she fought against it, she could feel herself slowly slipping away. The images of Stella and Mac swam in front of her and a small smile appeared on her face. Her world then went black and she lost consciousness.

_*Silence*_

'Mac, where is Stella? She is not picking up her phone,' Flack called, urgency laced in his voice as she spotted Mac and jogged over.

'I think she's working in ballistics. Is something wrong?' Mac asked.

'A girl called Evelyn Giles just showed up at the precinct. She is looking for someone called Stella or Mac. She said that they were the only names that a girl she knew has mentioned in her stay at the foster home,' Flack told him.

The words 'foster home' registered in Mac's brain, and he immediately knew whom the young girl was talking about. The only recent contact that he had with anyone child in foster care was Daniela Myerson.

'What happened?' Mac asked, dread growing in his stomach.

'Apparently, the foster mother, Mrs. Sampson had beaten her repeatedly with a frying pan and a spatula. They have managed to get her to the hospital, but they don't know how she is doing. Mac, the girl is Daniela,' Flack told him, but before he could finish his sentence, Mac was already rushing towards the ballistics lab, hoping to be able to be the one that tell Stella about Daniela.

Looking in, he saw that Stella had just finished firing the gun, and was running the striae against all the known ones in the database. Looking up, she spotted Mac at the doorway and gave him an easy smile.

'Hey, Mac. I'll have the results for you in a second,' Stella told him, as the images flashed across the screen of the different bullets.

'Stella…' Mac started and stopped. He had no idea how he should tell her about Daniela's condition. He knew that Stella's previous experiences at foster homes made her more sensitive during subjects like these, and he was not sure that he could hold her back from killing Mrs. Sampson. In fact, he did not know whether he wanted to hold her back.

'Mac, is everything ok?' Stella asked, seeing how nervous he was, and Mac gave a little chuckle. No matter how well he tried to hide it, he could never hide any emotion or feelings from Stella. She can read him like an open book at any time.

'Stella, it's Dani. She's… hurt,' Mac told her, watching Stella's reaction carefully.

'Hurt? How?' Stella asked, knowing that he was hiding something behind that little pause before using the word 'hurt'.

'The foster parent was… not the best one there is,' Mac told her, and that explained everything to Stella. She crumbled internally, and Mac was right next to her in a second, holding her in his arms as she tried to calm her down. Although he knew that their relationship was supposed to be a secret, and that the walls around the lab were made of glass, allowing everyone to see what was happening, he could not care less at that moment.

'How bad?' Stella whispered, wanting to know the answer, but fearing it at the same time.

'They don't know yet,' Mac answered, his shoulder slumped.

'Where is she?' Stella asked, brushing away her tears.

'Mercy General,' Mac answered and Stella started taking off her lab coat.

'I need to see her. I need to know…' Stella started and Mac held up his hands.

'I'm coming too, Stella. I'll get Danny to take charge for a while. She'll be alright,' Mac reassured her, but Stella shook her head.

'This is my fault, Mac. If I had insisted that she stayed with us, this would have never happened. This is all my fault,' Stella told him softly, and Mac placed a hand under her chin and gently tilted her face until she looked at him.

'Stella, listen to me. This is not your fault. She will be fine, and we will get her back. Do you hear me?' Mac told her, authority ringing within his voice.

Nodding, Stella sighed. 'Why? She has done nothing that deserved such brutalism to her. How can anyone do this to a child?'

'I don't know, Stella, but she'll pay. The person who did this to her will pay for what she did to her and countless other children one day,' Mac told her. 'Let's go.'

As they were heading out of the lab, Mac beckoned Danny over, who was with Lindsay and Danny.

'Flack has already told us what happened. Go take care of that little girl,' Danny told him as he was coming over, and Mac nodded gratefully. Neither Stella nor Mac noticed that their hands were entwined in each other, holding on tightly for support, but that did not go unnoticed by any of the other three. They gave a glance to each other, and silently agreed not to say anything.

After the doors of the elevator closed behind them, Danny turned to face his wife and best friend. Walking over to them, he looked at them both seriously.

'Do you think Daniela's going to make it?' Danny asked.

'She made it through the murder of her friends and her own kidnapping. She's a tough girl,' Lindsay answered. 'She'll be fine.'

'I hate it when something happens to kids. It could have been anyone. It could even have been Lucy,' Danny growled, and Lindsay placed her hand on his shoulder, effectively calming him down.

'I'm worried about Stella though,' Flack spoke up. He had seen the haunted look in the eyes of the woman who he loved like a sister. He knew of her experiences in the foster systems and he was worried about how she was going to take this.

'I'm glad that she and Mac are together now. He'll always be there for her and maybe this time, she won't push him away,' Lindsay answered.

'They'll all get through this,' Danny spoke up decisively. 'They have each other, and Daniela has both of them. They'll all be alright.'

_A/N: Hooray, a new chapter. I swear that I was planning on updating on Monday, because we have a week with no exams in between, but the idea of simply taking a break from everything was just too tempting, and so, I procrastinated. I hope that this chapter makes up for the long wait._

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW. Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_A massive thank you for those who reviewed the last chapter. You guys are the reason that I feel so guilty for procrastinating._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	11. Chapter 11

Silence Ch.11

Her brown hair fanned out on the pillow and her face was peaceful and serene. Her chest was rising and falling rhythmically. If it were not for the bandage around her head and the cuts and bruises visible on her face, it would have looked like she was simply sleeping from exhaustion.

Stella pressed her face against the glass window separating her from Daniela, a tear running down her cheek. Seeing Daniela like this, broken and beaten down, broke her heart. She felt a hand on her back. Turning around, she leaned into his embrace, allowing him to comfort her. 

'This is all my fault,' Stella murmured and Mac looked at her.

'Stella, this isn't your fault,' Mac told her quietly, but Stella shook her head.

'If I'd fought harder for her to stay with us, she wouldn't be in there right now. She'll be safe and happy with us, and none of this would have happened,' Stella cried unhappily.

'Stella, listen to me. None of this is your fault. When she gets better, she will be coming back home with us and no one will ever hurt her again,' Mac told her, and Stella nodded.

Closing her eyes, Stella buried her head in his chest, allowing his rhythmic heartbeat to calm her down. After a while, footsteps were heard, and they both looked towards the end of the corridor. Jordan Riverstone from child services was heading in their direction, and Mac could feel Stella stiffening beside him.

'What are you doing here?' Stella asked, hostility and alarm in her voice, and Jordan looked at her with sympathetic eyes.

'Believe me, Detective Bonasera. Taking that little girl away from you was not easy for me. I could see that she was happy,' Jordan told her, but Stella cut her off. 

'Where is she going to stay when she gets out of the hospital?' Stella asked, and Jordan shifted her weight on her feet nervously.

'She is going into another home. This family is a good one, Detective Bonasera. She will be safe there,' Jordan told her, and Stella glared at her.

'Spare me the speech, Ms. Riverstone. I grew up in the foster system. I know what it is like, and it is rarely anything but "good". Let her come back to us. We'll love her like our own child,' Stella pleaded with her.

'I'm sorry, detective, but my hands are tied. You and Detective Taylor aren't registered foster parents, and neither of you are of any relation to her,' Jordan answered patronizingly.

'Auntie Stella? Uncle Mac?' Daniela's voice rang out weakly and Stella immediately rushed into the room and sat down by Daniela, running her hands through her hair. Mac sat down on the other edge of the bed, and placed his large hands over her small ones.

'Feeling better now, Dani?' Mac asked softly, glad that she was finally awake. 

'Everything hurts,' Dani moaned as she struggled to open her eyes. As soon as she did, fear appeared in her eyes as she spotted Jordan across the room. In her mind, Jordan was the woman who took her away from a safe place and placed her in a dangerous one. Seeing her right now just made the memories of what happened in the kitchen rush through her mind.

'Don't take me back, please don't take me back. I'll be a good girl. Please, just don't take me back,' Daniela sobbed as she started thrashing around in her bed, and Stella immediately pulled her into a hug.

'It's alright, Dani, everything is going to be alright,' Stella murmured soothingly in Daniela's ear, and gradually, Daniela began to calm down.

Mac's phone began ringing at that moment, and he slipped out of the room to answer it. Stella stayed next to Daniela, rubbing small circles on her back and lulling her back into semi-consciousness. After a short while, Mac came back into the room, and smiled victoriously.

'Stella? Flack has got Mrs. Sampson down in the precinct, and he wondered if we would like a little chat with her,' Mac asked, and Stella's eyes narrowed at the name.

'Lead the way. Dani? I'll be back soon, alright? Ms. Riverstone here is going to stay with you for a little while, but I promise, I'll be back tonight,' Stella told the young girl, who reluctantly let go of Stella's hands. Dropping a small kiss on top of the girl's head, Stella strode out of the room purposefully, with Mac right beside her.

_*Silence*_

'I ain't did nothin' to the girl,' Mrs. Sampson insisted for the hundredth time. Stella paced around the room, trying and failing to bottle up her anger, while Mac leaned against the wall, fire burning within his eyes.

Slamming her fists against the table, Stella could feel the rage pumping through her veins. 'Enough with the story telling, Sophie. We dusted the pots and the spatula in the kitchen, and they were covered with your fingerprints. There were also traces of Daniela's blood on them. Are you seriously still going to sit there and tell me you did nothing? 'Cause trust me, no one will believe you,' Stella snarled.

Sophie Sampson sat there obstinately without saying a single word, without the slightest trace of remorse on her face. This was the final straw for Mac. Picking up the woman by her shoulders, he pushed her up against the wall and held her up so they were eye to eye.

'That girl, she was just a child. She had just witnessed a homicide committed by her own parents. Why would you go and add to everything that she was carrying around with her? Are you even human?' Mac thundered.

Stella stood there without moving. Even Flack, who was standing behind the mirror had to suppress a shudder that ran through him. Mac was a guy who could keep his temper under control most of the time, but when he did lose it, it was never pleasant.

Looking at Mac in the eye, Sophie lips curled up into a sinister smile. 'She was a worthless brat. She needed to be punished. What can I say? The state put her in my care, and I can punish her in any way I see fit. The next time she crosses me again, she will really learn her lesson,' Sophie told them, contempt evident in her voice.

Breathing heavily, Mac threw her back in a chair, and signalled to the officer standing outside the room. 

'You will be going away for a long time, and you will never go near Daniela again,' Mac told her, his voice low and dangerous. He gave a brief nod to the officer and Flack. 'Take her away.'

Shaking with rage, Mac sat down on the cold metal chairs in the interrogation room. Stella sat down next to him and wrap her arms around him, completely forgetting that people could see them. When Flack went back into the room, the couple jumped slightly, but Flack held up his hands good-naturedly.

'We already know, so that's alright,' Flack told them, grinning. 'Here's the folder that you told me to grab from your desk, Mac.'

'Thanks, Don,' Mac told him. Flack gave them a smile, and left them alone.

'What's in the folder?' Stella asked.

'The adoption papers for Daniela. I'm never letting her go again,' Mac told her determinedly, and Stella nodded. 

'Let's go back to the hospital. She's waiting for us,' Stella told him, and they left the room together, their hands entwined.

_*Silence*_

'So, you like your Auntie Stella and Uncle Mac?' Jordan asked cautiously. Daniela nodded vigorously.

'They're the nicest people ever,' Daniela answered enthusiastically, and Jordan held back a smile. She had been trying to make small talk with the girl while the detectives were gone and the little girl had ignored her until she turned the conversation to the two detectives. When the questions were about them, the little girl would answer happily, but when asked about anything else, the girl would just clam up. It was obvious that the little girl was very much attached to the two detectives and Jordan hated that she was going to be the one who would have to take her away.

Just as Daniela finished her hospital dinner, Mac and Stella came into the room, and a spark lit up within Daniela's eyes.

'Uncle Mac, Auntie Stella. You're back!' Daniela said happily, leaning back against the pillows.

'Dani, I told you that we would back tonight, remember?' Stella told her fondly, and Dani nodded slowly.

'Yeah,' Dani answered, but her voice was laced with uncertainty.

'Detectives? The doctor came by earlier, and he told me that Daniela can be discharged in a couple of days provided that she does not have a setback in the next 48 hours. Afterwards, she would be going into a home that is pretty close to the hospital,' Jordan told them, but Mac cut her off.

'She will be going with us,' Mac told her, his voice stern.

'I'm sorry, Detective Taylor, but as I've told you before, you are of no relation to Daniela Myerson, so unfortunately she cannot stay with you,' Jordan told him sincerely.

'We have just dropped off the adoption papers and we are expecting to hear from them shortly, but I am quite sure that there will be no problem in the process of adoption. Daniela's going to become our daughter,' Mac told her.

_A/N: Can you believe it? Another chapter in less than a week. I really hope you like this chapter, and the credit for this quick update has to go to __**Project 66**__, because she has been hounding me to finish update more frequently, so here it is._

_As usual, PLEASE REVIEW. I had a history exam yesterday that did not go so well, so I am quite upset. Your reviews will greatly cheer me up. No flamers please, but constructive criticisms are much appreciated._

_This chapter is dedicated to __**Project 66**__, for constantly telling me to update, and to __**Bianca tabbycat**__, for being my wonderful beta._

_Zoe tabbycat_


	12. Chapter 12

Silence Ch. 12

Gently closing the door behind her, Stella went back out into the living room, where Mac was sitting. Looking up, Mac gave her a smile and pulled her onto the sofa next to him. Releasing a soft sigh, she snuggled up against his side, and Mac gave a small grin. He loved how the strong, tough CSI would allow herself to relax and depend on others in the comforts of their own home.

'Is she asleep?' Mac asked, and Stella nodded.

'Yeah. She was in pain, but she still refused to take the painkillers. Took a little coaxing before she agreed to take them,' Stella murmured, exhausted.

It had been a month since Daniela was taken from Mrs. Sampson's house, and a week since she was discharged from the hospital. Daniela had been staying with Stella and Mac since she was taken out of the hospital, and tomorrow, the judge would be announcing whether they could have permanent custody of Daniela.

'What are you thinking about?' Mac asked as he pulled Stella closer to him.

'What if something goes wrong?' Stella asked, her fear seeming more real once she said them out loud. 'What if the judge doesn't allow Daniela to come back with us?'

'Daniela is going to come back to us, Stella,' Mac assured her, suppressing the fears that have risen within his chest. Stella pulled away from their embrace, looking at him in the eye.

'There's no guarantee that that will happen, Mac,' Stella told him the harsh truth, and Mac nodded.

'Yes, Stella, but we have done everything that we could possibly do, and more importantly, we love Daniela. No matter what happens tomorrow, nothing will ever change that,' Mac told her as they enjoyed the warmth in each other's arms, knowing that Daniela is safe in their house, sound asleep on her bed.

_*Silence*_

'I don't want to go,' Daniela shrieked, struggling against Stella as she tried to pull a T-shirt over her head.

'Dani, please. Just get into these clothes,' Stella begged as the T-shirt came flying off Dani for the fourth time in a row. Throwing herself on to the ground, Dani absolutely refused to listen, and Stella was at her wit's end.

'Dani, please. We have to get there on time,' Stella pleaded with her as she tried to stop Dani from throwing another temper tantrum.

'What does it matter? If I go, I'll never come back to you,' Dani confessed her worries and curled up into a ball, refusing to meet Stella's gaze.

'Dani. You will come back. This room will always be yours,' Stella told her, but Dani shook her head.

'They'll take me away, just like last time. I won't be able to see you or Uncle Mac anymore. I don't want to leave,' Dani protested in a small voice, staring at the floor steadfastly.

'Oh, Dani, is that why you don't want to go see the judge today? Because you think that he would take you away from here?' Stella asked, and Dani nodded.

'If I don't get to come back, you and Uncle Mac won't love me anymore,' admitted Daniela, voicing out her deepest fear.

'Dani, listen to me. No matter what happens today, Uncle Mac and I will never stop loving you. Everything will be fine,' Stella told her firmly, using one finger to tilt her head up so she can look at her in the eye. 'Do you understand?'

Daniela nodded, but she still looked unconvinced.

_*Silence*_

'Daniela, my name is Donald,' Judge Stevens smiled, introducing himself to Daniela. After the testimonies from both child services and the detective, Judge Stevens decided that he wanted to talk to Daniela alone in the judge's chambers, as he wanted to know what her own wish was.

Nodding slightly, Daniela kept her eyes on the floor, and made no attempt to return the greeting.

'Daniela, are Stella and Mac nice to you at home?' Judge Stevens asked, wasting no time to get to the point.

Looking up immediately, Daniela gave an enthusiastic nod. 'They are the nicest people ever,' she declared.

'Are they ever mean to you?' Judge Stevens questioned, and Daniela scrunched up her nose.

'If I do something wrong, they will punish me by taking away some of my pri-vil-eges,' Daniela told him, spelling privileges out slowly and a small smile blossomed on her face after she managed to pronounce it correctly. 'Does that count as being mean? Because I don't think it is, it never hurts like when the old lady hit me.'

"Last of all, would you like to stay with Mac and Stella or would you like to leave the house?' Judge Stevens asked, and Daniela immediately jumped up.

'Please, Mr. Judge, please let me stay with Uncle Mac and Aunt Stella,' Daniela begged, staring at him with her watery, hopeful eyes, and Judge Stevens could not find it in him to say no to the little girl.

'I'll see what I can do, Daniela,' Judge Stevens promised.

_*Silence*_

'After going through all the evidence that was presented to me, and after having a chat with Daniela, I officially grant permanent custody of Daniela Myerson to Detective McKenna Taylor and Detective Stella Bonasera,' Judge Stevens announced, allowing a rare smile to break through his usually calm and collected façade.

Jumping up from her seat, Daniela rushed over to Mac and Stella, and was welcomed with open arms. The three of them hugged each other tightly, as the outside world ceased to matter within their little bubble of happiness.

Tears were streaming down Stella's face as she hugged the little girl that was now officially her daughter, and Mac smiled proudly and ruffled Daniela's hair, his grin almost splitting his face into half.

It was official: they were finally a family.

_Epilogue (six months later):_

'Pretty please, mommy,' Daniela Taylor pleaded and Stella sighed. Whenever Dani pouted and looked at her with her puppy dog eyes, Stella could never say no to her.

'Alright, Dani. Get your jacket on, and we'll go,' Stella answered as she slipped on her shoes. Smiling happily, Dani quickly shrugged on her jacket and tugged Stella along to a small bookstore.

'What book do you need so urgen-,' Stella was cut off when Dani avoided the bookstore and took Stella into the alleyway right next to the store, and saw Mac standing there, along with Danny, Lindsay, Adam, Sid, Sheldon and Flack.

'What's happening?' Stella asked, as Mac walked towards her.

'Stella, exactly twelve years ago, I met you right here, where we worked on our very first crime scene together. Since that day, you have been the person that took care of me. No matter how hard I tried to push away, you would never budge. You were my best friend, and now, the person that matters the most to me, along with Daniela. Stella Bonasera, will you do me the honor of marrying me?' Mac asked, getting down on one knee, his blue eyes gazing into her shining green ones.

'Y-yes,' Stella stuttered, completely shocked, as she had no idea that he was planning to proposed, but was absolutely sure that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

Slipping the ring onto her finger, his lips caught hers in a sweet kiss, as their audience clapped madly and cheered.

They knew that there will be different challenges ahead of them, but they knew that as a family, they could overcome all the hurdles together.

_The End_

_A/N: And here we are at the end of this story. I would like to say a massive thank you for everyone who reviewed/favorite/alerted this story. You guys are the people who gave me the motivation to write this up._

_A special thank you must be given to __**Bianca tabbycat**__ for betaing this story for me, and getting them back to me at an astonishing speed so I can upload it. Another thank you must be given to __**Project 66**__, for forcing me to focus on one story at a time, and allowing me to finish this story._

_As usual, please REVIEW. Criticisms are much appreciated, but no flamers please._

_Zoe tabbycat_


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